For Michael Sam, the past month-and-a-half has likely been a whirlwind, but he took a moment to reflect on the support he has received from the University of Missouri community.

In a letter to the editor in the Columbia Missourian, Sam wrote an open letter to his "fellow University of Missouri students, athletes, faculty, alumni and supporters." He reportedly came out to his teammates months before he did so publicly and they supported him from the start.

"From my first recruiting trip to the University of Missouri, I felt something extraordinary and special - something I didn't feel anyplace else," Sam wrote in the opening paragraphs. "I didn't have a name for it then; I do now. It's called family. And to me that family is defined by unconditional love."

You can also READ the letter on his Facebook page.

Sam has received support from all over, but has also fielded some more abrasive reactions. The question on everyone's mind, however, has seemed to be whether or not NFL scouts, GMs and other evaluators will let his sexual orientation affect his draft stock.

Sam will probably not even sniff the first round of the NFL Draft in May and maybe not even the second or third. Many experts project him to be selected within rounds four through seven. Of course, there is the chance some team takes a wild gamble on him, like the Denver Broncos did when they took Tim Tebow with the 24th overall selection in 2010.

Many of the same evaluators and experts were discouraged by Sam's scouting combine performance, leading them to believe he would certainly be a late-round pick. However, the Associated Press reported Sam improved on his bench press, 40-yard dash and long jump during Missouri's pro day.

He reportedly "tweaked" his hamstring running the dash, but there is no indication as of yet that it is anything serious.

Sam may not be a top-tier talent, but he does figure to be the NFL's first openly gay player, even if that means he will warm the bench for the majority of his rookie season.

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